Regina, Saskatchewan

The city of Regina serves as the provincial capital of Saskatchewan, which is located in Canada. The city serves as a commercial hub for southern Saskatchewan and is the second biggest in the province, after Saskatoon. The city of Regina has a population of 226,404 according to the census taken in 2021, while the Metropolitan Area had a population of 249,217. The Regina City Council is in charge of its administration. The Rural Municipality of Sherwood No. 159 encompasses the whole vicinity of the city.

The present Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta were historically a part of the North-West Territories, and Regina served as the capital of both that territory and the District of Assiniboia. Today, Regina serves only as the capital of the province of Saskatchewan. Wascana, which translates to "Buffalo Bones" in Cree, was the name of the location until it was changed to Regina, which is Latin for "Queen," in 1882. This was done in honour of Queen Victoria. Princess Louise, the daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, served as the wife of the Marquess of Lorne, who was the Governor General of Canada. It was Princess Louise who made this choice.

On its treeless flat plain, Regina has few topographical characteristics other than the modest spring run-off that is known as Wascana Creek. This is in contrast to other planned cities in the western part of Canada. Damming the stream to create an ornamental lake to the south of the central business area with a dam a block and a half west of the later spectacular 260 m (850 ft) long Albert Street Bridge over the new lake was an opportunity that was taken advantage of by early designers. When the newly formed province of Saskatchewan made the decision in 1906 to make Regina its capital, the city's significance was further solidified. Wascana Centre is one of Regina's attractions and was developed around the lake's focal point. It is home to the Provincial Legislative Building, both campuses of the University of Regina, First Nations University of Canada, the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, the Regina Conservatory (located in the buildings that formerly housed Regina College), the Saskatchewan Science Centre, the MacKenzie Art Gallery, and the Saskatchewan Centre for the Arts.

Residential neighbourhoods include precincts that are located outside the old city centre. Some of these neighbourhoods, such as Lakeview and The Crescents, are historically or socially significant. Both of these neighbourhoods are located just south of the central business district. Immediately to the north of the central business centre is the historic warehouse district, which is quickly becoming the focus of retail, nightclubs, and residential construction. As is the case in other western cities of North America, the perimeter has shopping malls and large box shops.

In 1912, the Regina Cyclone levelled a large portion of the city; in the 1930s, the Regina Riot brought even more attention to the city; and in the middle of the 1930s drought and the Great Depression, which hit the Canadian Prairies particularly hard because of their economic focus on dry land grain farming, the Regina Riot brought even more attention to the city. In 1933, the city of Regina was the site of the drafting of the foundational document known as the Regina Manifesto for what would later become the New Democratic Party, a significant left-wing political party in Canada. In recent years, the agricultural and mineral resources of Saskatchewan have seen a surge in demand, and the province's economy has entered a new phase of robust expansion as a result.